Advertising-sign.



No. 699,|78. Patented May 6, I902.

L. J. HUNTER.

ADVERTISING SIGN.

'Apphcatwn filed Nov 4 1901 2 sheets-sheet I.

(No Model.)

. of x INVENTOR- J BY 2 7. g 9 14TTORNEY.

WITNESSES.-

No. 699,l78. Patented May 6, I902.

L. J. HUNTER.

ADVERTISING SIGN.

(Application filed Nov. 4, 1901.)

2 Sheets Sheet 2.

- (No'Model J I W\6 b W a n w W: @F n} in W W a, 7

w f G/ WITNESSES INVENTOR. 1 v M c d Q I EATTORNEXQ'F each side a moving sign, each sign carrying advertised on one of the first-named signs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYTLE J. HUNTER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ADVERTIVSI NG-VSIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,178, dated May 6, I902. Application filed Novcmher 4. 1901.; Serial No. 81.089. (No model.)

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYTLE J. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising- Signs and in the Means for Operating Them, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of my invention is, first, to provide a structure which shall present on its own set of names, 820., and having its own set of rollers on which it is rolled or unrolled; secondly, to providein connection with each of such signs a primary sign containing the name of the person, firm, corporation, store, or the like, of whom or from which the article can be bought or otherwise obtained; thirdly, mechanism for operating the two first-named (movable) signs, so as to roll the signs in one direction, and when they have been thus fully rolled up to roll them in the reverse direction, and to provide mechanism for performing these functions ofv such a kind that the change of direction in the movement of the roll shall be accomplished automatically and without the necessity of the intervention of human agency, and thereby enabling the rolls and movable signs to continue in motion so long as the actuating poweris applied,

The several features of my invention and the advantages resulting from their use con jointly or otherwise will be apparent from the following description and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, similar letters of reference indicate corresponding part-s.

In Figures 1 and 2 the casing is not shown. Fig. 1 is an elevation of the actuating mechanism and of the adjacent end of the frame supporting the sign-curtains through the agency of the rolls, a part-ofthe frame being broken away. Fig. 2 is an elevation of that sideof. those .parts of the mechanism which isat the right hand in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of .the front of the mechanism for reversing the motion of the rolls. Fig.4 is a View of that edge (or side) of the mechanism which is at the right hand in Fig. 3. Fig. '5 is a perspective view of the casing. Fig. 6 is a detail back view of the rotary disk with the clamps carried .therebyand also the post for supporting the disk and the tongues. Fig. '7 is a plan view of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a clamp and tongue in engagement.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail.

There is a suitable framework which has a bottom support or foundation A. There is a front end support A and a corresponding rear end support A (Not shown.) There are at each side of the machine two rolls-an upper roll 13 and a lower roll 0. The upper rolls B are preferably alike and the lower rolls 0 are preferably alike. B is preferably a spring-roller-that is to say, it contains a spring which elastically yields while the roller is turned in one direction and at the same time is wound up, so that its tension and tendency to rotate the roller in the opposite direction are increased and when permitted so to do will unwind the roller in such opposite direction. Each lower roller 0 has no spring and is free to turn as actuated without any special resistance of its own. All of these rollers have projecting journals which are duly journaled in the end "supports A. A function of these supports A is to support these rollers.

Afiexible sheet or curtain D of much greater length than: the distance between the rollers B and Got a given side is connected at one end to a roller B and at its other end to the roller 0 of that side of the machine. A portion of such curtain extends between such rollers, and a portion is rolled upon either one or the other of such rollers or partly upon both. Thus there are two curtains-one on each side of the machine. of these curtains are painted or otherwise marked the names, titles, or other reading it is desired to display thereon and therefrom. When the sign is used as an advertising medium the reading thereonwill be ofithat kind. These curtains are usually transparent, as it is expected to make thesign useful at night as well as by day.

At the forward end of the machine each journal 0 of the lower roll 0 extends forward I Each upper roll respective directions. In the present illustrative instance each wheel E engages an adjacent gear-wheel F, and these wheels F F engage a common gear-wheel G, the latter being fixed on the same shaft G2 as the gearwheel H turns with the latter. Gear-wheel II meshes with pinion or gear J, fixed on shaft J which latter carries the gear-wheel K. The latter is operated by a worm M, rotated by shaft M in turn driven by power. Such motive power in the present instanceis a motor N, operated, of course, by a suitable electrical current.

The illustrative mechanism for reversing the movement of the rolls and curtains is in the present instance as follows: There is a disk or equivalent piece P rotatable on a shaft P Between a stud Q on such disk P and a stud R, fixed to the movable pieces V or a connection thereof, is stretched a spring S. In front is a screw-threaded shaft T. This shaft is duly rotated. Therefore the screwthread T on this shaft operates as a worm. Upon this shaft are one or more pieces V, having female screw thread engaging the worm-thread T The shaft T is operated simultaneously with the shafts of the rollers B and C and is preferably operated directly by and with the shaft or journal 0 as shown. As the screw-thread T rotates with the shaft '1 it operates to move the rods T in a given direction. There are four contacts W, acting as clamps, also located substantially as shown. The rods T are arranged so that as they move along parallel to the screw T they will impinge against the stud or rod Q and move the same, and such movement takes the disk P. The disk P is in connection with the electrical circuits operating the motor. Oscillation of the disk P in one direction thus operates to cause the motor to rotate its shaft M in one direction, and oscillation of the disk P in the opposite direction operates to cause the motor to rotate the shaft M in the other direction.

The operation of the machine thus described is substantially as follows: Suppose that each curtain D has been rolled up on the lower roller 0. Then the only part of each curtain not rolled upon such roller 0 is the part stretched between this roller 0 and the upper roller B. In the upper roller B the spring has been duly wound up and strongly tends to unwind 'and to rotate the (its) roller B and wind up the curtain D upon it. The motor, being started,rotates the shaft M and through the agency of the intermediate gear-wheels already described slowly and steadily turns the journals 0 of the rollers C, so that the respective curtains D are unrolled therefrom. As the curtains are unrolled from the rollers C the roll ers B, through the agency of their springs, as aforementioned, roll up their respective curtains. This operation continues until the curtains D are fully wound upon their respective rollers B. At the beginning of this operation the tongues W are wedged in the or clamp. Then the disk P is free to turn and the spring S pulls the stud Q over (and with it the disk P.) Such movement causes the disk P, which latter is arranged as intimated, when moved to change the circuit and reverse the movement of the motor and its shaft M As the disk P moves and the stud Q flies over, as before mentioned, the tongues enter the opposite contact or clamp W and are held there. Such operations not only reverse the rotation of the rollers, but put the stud in a position where it will be held for the present. The movement of the rollers is now thus reversed, and the rollers 0 wind the curtain upon themselves and as rapidly wind the curtain off from the rollers B B, the springs of the latter rollers B B offering suf= ficient resistance to keep the curtain taut and fiat. By the time the curtain is wound upon the rollers B B the tail of the spring S has been carried in the opposite direction from that in which it was previously carried, and the spring again strains upon the stud Q in a direction the opposite of that previously named. WVhen the adjacent rod T pushes the stud Q in opposite direction and the tongue out of the wedges W, (as it will do,) the stud Q flies over to the opposite side and the tongues become wedged in opposite contact. This movement reverses the position of the disk P and also the movement of the motor, and the rollers again move in a reverse direction and wind the curtain in a direction the reverse of that in which it last moved. Such alternate movements of the curtains in opposite direc-- tions and alternate change of the movement of the motor in and by the manner described are continued as long as desired, at which time the current is cut off.

To inclose the mechanism aforementioned, I provide a suitable casing, which preferably consists of a case X, arranged to receive the mechanism. An addition X at one end covers the reversing mechanism and gear which op erate the rollers. The sides of the casing are left open, so that the reading matter or charac ters upon the curtains can be duly displayed. The bottom X is preferably separable from the upper part of the case and provided with flanges X adapted to hold the upper part of the case in position upon the bottom when united thereto. At suitable points, preferably supported upon the bottom, are lamps X preferably, as shown, electrical incandescent ones. Surmounting the middle or main portion of the case is a division X conto be sold can be placed on the moving ourtain below.

The advantages of such mechanism for the uses, objects, and purposes for which it is obviously intended and the uses to which it can be put will be apparent to any one skilled in the art.- r

The springs actuating each vroller B or equivalent actuating mechanism,if dispensed with will necessitate positive gearing meshing with the gearing in connection'with the journals 0 in a well-known manner.

The object of the multiplication of gearing in the. present instance is to diminish the speed of a power-shaft which necessarily rapidly revolves.

In case one curtain is employed the invention will be of advantage; but the utilization of both sides by the duplication of the curtains is a very great advantage.

The tongues W are supported upon the standard W and are thusrelatively fixed asv regards the disks. Circuit connections W lead from the tongues, and thus the clamps. and tongues serve not only as means for holding the disk in position, but also as contact means. The clamps on, one side, it will be noticed, are connected up by wires W in pairs difierently from those on the other side,which are connected up in pairs by the wires VW- W What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination, the two curtains, a roller 'fpr eaclrupon which they are'mounted, an electric motor for communicating motion to the rollers, gear connections between the mo- .tor and the rollers andcreversing mechanismfor'the motor comprising a screw-shaft T, a movable piece engaging the screw-shaft,

a rotary disk 1?, a spring S connected at one end to the piece V, a stud on the disk to which the other, end of the spring is connected, two

series of clamps Wcarried by the disk, a series of tongues arranged to engage and be held by the clamps, a support for said tongues relatively fixed in relation to the'disk, rods T carried by the pieces V, said rods being arranged to engage the stud on the disk to rotate the same and remove the clamps from the tongues to therebyallow the spring to act and reverse the position of the disk and cause the engagement of the tongues and the other set of clamps and circuit connections con trolled by the tongues and clamps, substan= tially as described.

LYTLE J. HUNTER.

Attest:

WM. WELLING, WILLIAM H. WHITTAKER'. 

